Mountain's Heart
Name: Mountain's Heart *'Location:' Aptos, CA *'Composition:' Primarily Shadow Lords, a few others that do not reveal any qualms with how leadership does things around here. Get of Fenris are now at war with the Sept, though news of what happened here is just now disseminating out. *'Totem:' Fog *'Nature:' Forbidden Knowledge *'Level:' Four *'Sept Alpha:' Anvil-of-Thunder's-Steel (Athro Shadow Lord Theurge) *'Caern Warder:' Anvil-of-Thunder's-Steel (Athro Shadow Lord Theurge) *'Moon Bridges:' There are no Moon Bridges from this sept. Considering their interest in isolation, there are not likely to be any, any time soon. *'Former Residents:' Jamethon Black ~Fights-For-Hope~ *'Visitors:' Jamethon, Signe *'OOC Contact:' Jamethon Pre-Takeover History: This Sept used to be host to a mixture of Get of Fenris too involved with glory to care that they are puppets of a Shadow Lord 'shadow-regime', and the Shadow Lords that are happy to exploit this. Bear was the land's ancestral protector and due to his proximity to the Garou of the Caern over many many years had grown to be a more violent version of himself. Though still wise in peace time, he gave way to rage and anger almost as quickly as any Garou when his land was threatened. The Caern managed to hold back many attacks from forces of the Wyrm, though each time another wave breaks against the defenders they are left that much weaker... a battlescared fostern here, a dead cliath there. The 'Heart' of the Caern is truly well hidden. In the mountains are a series of caves, passages and caverns that appear to be natural in formation... but are just too perfect for the use of living within to not have some kind of intelligent mind behind their construction. It is thought by many that Gaia herself carved out the inside of the Mountain for the Garou to live within. Less spoken of out loud by those that have learned the true history, is that it was created for the Gurahl, not the Garou. The openings to the Caern are protected by powerful illusionary wards that make them appear and feel, to be solid rock. Those seeking entrance without being shown how to enter properly, must approach and physically push through the illusions, a sensation not unlike wading through waist-high tar... but first, of course, they must get lucky in finding where they are. In March of 2009, a massive and surprisingly well coordinated Black Spiral Dancer attack took the life of the Athro Sept Alpha, Martin Ironclaw. The Warder took over as Alpha, and the Warder position was filled by the challenge of three trials of the tenets of Renown. Combat, gamecraft, and honor. The victor was surprising to many, at the time a Fostern Philodox Shadow Lord by the name of Jonathan Ywenian, ~Light-In-The-Darkest-Hour~. In May, he successfully challenged the new Sept Alpha for rank. Already, it seems that three attempts on the life of the newest Warder have taken place. Of course, as he is still alive, they failed. No culprits have yet been brought to justice. Again, this all seems to many, a further sign of the Sept's corruption. Fetishes there were kept under strict guard, run by the Gatekeeper under order of the Alpha. All uses of the Sept's Fetishes had to be petitioned first to the Gatekeeper, who would bring your petition to the Alpha and 'together' they would determine if usage is allowed. Under the leadership of Ironclaw, this had often resulted in the Sept's Fetishes sitting hoarded and unused except directly by the Sept's most eldest themselves. Under the new leadership of Mountain's-Courage, though not handed out freely without petition, more such were being granted and the Sept in general seemed more secure. This was until... Current: '''In July of 2017, after a new war against the Spirals and their allies brought the Septs Fenrir defenders to the weakest they had ever been, the Shadow Lord leadership staged a coup during the recovery led by the then-Gatekeeper ~Anvil-of-Thunder's-Steel~. First, there was talk that the Fenrir had grown too feral and dangerous and were breaking the litany in regards to not causing a Caern to be violated. They claimed that even Bear, a wise spirit, had been tainted by their rage and heedless aggression. At first, there was challenges for Alphaship by other Shadow Lords that were rebuffed because 'time of war' reasons. Then attempts were made on the Alpha, Mountain's-Courage (who was an Athro Philodox Fenrir) and he was defended by Light-In-The-Darkest-Hour (who was an Adren Philodox Shadow Lord). That Mountain's-Courage is now dead and Light-In-The-Darkest-Hour had to flee and is branded a Ronin traitor by the Shadow Lords tells how that went. Bear, long a guiding force in both peace and war for the Sept, was driven out. The Totem Spirit could not accept what had happened and what was still happening. The Caern fell dormant and the wards disappeared. The Lords were able to convince the Fog spirit *Hidden-Depths* of their worthiness. The powerful Theurges and Philodox of the Sept, who had been secretly gathering Garou to their cause for some time now, led them in a very successful Caern Re-Opening. Now rather than the old illusory wards, their Sept is well hidden by an unnaturally dense and intractable fog. Anvil-of-Thunder's-Steel took over as Alpha and Warder both and what the Sept is up to now is anybody's guess. There does seem to be some dark purpose however and stories would be carried by those who survived and fled the usurping, of this Fog spirit not being entirely... normal. '''Additional Notes: The Garou who would come from here are likely to be fleeing it due to the corruption and danger. They would likely know that something very wrong is happening there yet any attempts at detecting the Wyrm or Weaver (or in fact the Wyld) would not indicate anything more than the usual background noise. This seems to indicate that whatever Triatic unbalancing of energies exist there are being hidden by magical means. Anyone leaving this Sept to find a new home will likely also find that stories of their 'treachery', probably fabricated yet believable, have just barely preceded their arrival at a new Caern. Category: Caerns Category:Shadow Lord Septs